Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1887-06-16
MR.. MeAMIs HEARD FROM.


The Rev. Mr.. McAmis. of whom some
mention was made editorially last week.
In connection with a charge reported to
have been made by him. at a Prohibition
meeting held at Rubbish Chapel. sends us
the following in relation 70 the matter :
MR.. EDITOR (: / was surprised when q
friend presented me 1ith a copy Of your
paper containing those fearful comments
on that false paragraph, written by your
correspondent, in reference to what l said
about Mr.. James G. Blaine in my speech
on the amendment at Rubbish chapel on
Saturday night. The paragraph says
THE most Characteristic feature OF his
speech, was o bold charge that James G.
Blaine was an excessive drinker."
You 60 on to say "Why the Rev. Nc
Amis should bring him before the people
as a drunkard and hold him up as a .hor-
rible example does not appear" Please
observe. the last expression ("horrible ex-
ample') Is In quotations, just as II 1t
were my own language. / want to In.
form you, sir, that ! never said any such
thing. Old Satan himself never made a
statement more false. In my speech /
was complimenting Blaine on what he
had said and done for Prohibition in
Maine that he speaks and works for 1t
there, and yet he drinks himself (ssine)
that Is, he Is not like some others, oppos.
ed TO Prohibition for selfish motives.
Gladly win he give up his little bit Of
wine simply for the public g0od-the
good Of his State. Mr.. Editor. and Mr..
Correspondent. In the name of old Tennes-
see. are zoe willing to initiate this grand
old patriot In this or some other kind Of
personal sacrifice and self denial for our
helpless thousands2 l did not mean any
thrust OF MI. Blaine's character. / am as
good o friend to j. G. Blaine as my fret.
full friends. What Is the correspondent
motive In writing such O letter. Because
he thought l Intended a thrust at Mr..
Blaine. And, in order to make It appear
as such. he must assert that / called Blaine
a drunkard. a horrible example. He also
says that | referred to a man killing his
wife and child and that 80, 900, 600 such
cases had occurred. / did not say any
such thing as there being ms many as
6O,0O0, 900 such cases. The other case, Of
Maine carrying Prohibition with over
400, 600. in 1856, is also q mistake or a
falsehood. q
Your correspondent started out to do
me an injury, though 1t sacrifice my va
racity. and the truth itself. And. Mr..
Editor. you were so thoughtless and In.
considerable as to give those low.down and
unguarded comments on the thing. You
are both unreasonable and false In the
highest sense. / am going to make a
speech In Jonesboro some Of these times,
and you must come out and hear me.
Politely,
r. b. McAMIs.
Mr.. McAmis objects to the term ''hor-
riblc example" being passed off as his
own language. That the words are
printed in quotation marks Is no reason
To suppose that VIZ intended he should
father them. A closer examination of
our correspondents letter would have
disclosed nothing therein whereby we
or anyone else could have inferred that
he made use Of the expression.
The following words, however, in quo
tations, are from Mr.. McAmis, taken from
the foregoing letter. We label them TO
avoid mistake: "You were SO thought.
less and inconsiderate as to give those
low.down and unguarded comments on
the thing" As to their being "low-
down." that Is somewhat q matter of
taste, In these days Of Sam Jonesism. In
the light Of the circumstances. we do not
think them Thoughtless.p 'inconsider.
ate" or careless, nor can we see anything
unreasonable in contradicting an errone-
GUS statement calculated to injurc the
reputation Of q great man.
As to being false In the highest sense"
tits with plearure that we deny the
alligator" In every particular.
We do not know Mr.. McAmis. but VIC
do know u correspondent. and we do
know a number of good citizens who
brought us substantially the same report
Of the statements made at RUBBISH Chap.
el, before our correspondents letter ar.
rived. We also notice, on reading the
above letter, that the writer believes and
states that Mr.. Blaine drinks '(wine.y y"
We are still inclined to prefer Mr..
Blaine's own statement, which we again
produce-"I haze, 10 be sure, at times
taken a glass Of claret, but nothing more,
And yet, our ministerial friend insists
that Mr.. Blaine gipes up his wine for the
public good, and that 1t is q sacrifice and
an act Of self-denial on his part, thus
leaving the impression that James g.
Blaine has been and Is given TO the cup
Ian impression which wrongs the great
statesman; and as uncalled for as unjust.
On the other statements made In our
correspondents letter, which Mr.. Nc.
Amis denounces as untrue, we made nc
comment, and do not feel called upon
to mention them particularly but this
we can say The reporter in question
has been a correspondent Of this papel
for years and we have yet to learn Of
the truth Of his statements being ques
toned heretofore.
The most remarkable feature OF tn,
Anti Poverty movement in New York Il
that which may be called Its social side
II a member Of any district association II
the Democratic or Republican party wer'
to go to a regular meeting Of his organi
zation accompanied by his wife and chill